Photographic cameras having a camera body with a loading chamber for receiving a film cartridge endwise, i.e. axially, must have some means to return the film cartridge to the camera user. In conventional cameras, the loading chamber is directly accessible to the camera user by opening the camera door. Consequently, the camera user can easily remove the film cartridge from the loading chamber. However, direct access is not available in cameras receiving the cartridge axially. Typically, the camera door covers the end of the loading chamber. Thus, such cameras do not provide direct access to the cartridge by opening the camera door. Cameras having loading chambers for axially receiving a film cartridge require some means for making the film cartridge accessible to the camera user.
Generally, the film cartridge is made accessible to the camera user by ejecting the cartridge out of the loading chamber. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,049,914 by Dassero, assigned to Eastman Kodak Company, issued Sep. 17, 1991, discloses a camera having a loading chamber and an ejecting member which pops the film cartridge at least partially out of the chamber when the door covering the opening to the chamber is opened by the camera user. Further example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,323,201 by Richiuso et al., assigned to Eastman Kodak Company, issued Jun. 21, 1994, discloses a camera having a loading chamber for receiving a film cartridge endwise and an ejecting device for pushing the cartridge endwise at least partially out of the chamber.
In order to eject the film cartridge out of the loading chamber, energy must be applied to the cartridge in the direction of the opening of the loading chamber. Generally, energy is applied to the cartridge in the form of a translational spring. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,155,514 by Tamamura, assigned to Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, issued Oct. 13, 1992, discloses a cartridge loading chamber having springs which are compressed when the film cartridge is loaded in the chamber and the chamber door is closed. The compressed springs are released when the chamber door is opened, thereby causing the cartridge to be ejected through the opening created by the opening of the chamber door.
A further example is the camera disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,323,201 by Richiuso et al., assigned to Eastman Kodak Company, issued Jun. 21, 1994. The camera disclosed includes an ejecting device which receives the cartridge and a spring which is compressed when the cartridge is seated in the chamber. The ejection device is supported for movement in the direction required to eject the cartridge. When the ejection device is unlatched, the compressed spring forces the ejector slide to move the door open and eject the cartridge from the chamber.
The ejection mechanisms disclosed by the above references impose a undesirable force on the film cartridge when the film cartridge is loaded in the chamber and ready for exposure action. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,155,514 by Tamamura, assigned to Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, issued Oct. 13, 1992, discloses a mechanism where the spring is compressed upon the insertion of the film cartridge into the chamber. The spring compression is held by the closed chamber door and is released upon the opening of the chamber door. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,323,201 by Richiuso et al., assigned to Eastman Kodak Company, issued Jun. 21, 1994, discloses a mechanism where the spring is compressed upon the insertion of the film cartridge into the chamber. The spring compression is held by the latched chamber door and is released upon the unlatching of the door. In both mechanisms, the spring imposes a force on the film cartridge when the cartridge is seated in the chamber.
The spring used to eject the film cartridge must apply enough force to disengage the film cartridge from the advance/rewind mechanism and eject the film cartridge partially out of the chamber. In this regard, the ejection mechanisms disclosed by the above reference's mechanisms are difficult to control as to the extent of ejection of the film cartridge from the chamber.
In view of the above, it would be desirable to provide a mechanism which has no spring force imposed on a film cartridge while the film cartridge is seated in a loading chamber. It would be advantageous to provide a mechanism to prevent a film cartridge from being ejected too far out of the loading chamber after the film cartridge is lifted off the advance/rewind mechanism. It would be desirable to provide a mechanism which is easily adaptable to other positions in a loading chamber, therefore accommodating a variety of camera configurations. It would be advantageous to provide a mechanism which provides positive feedback to a camera operator when a film cartridge is fully seated in a loading chamber.